Flushing-tank.



J. L. FRUIN. PLUSHIN G TANK. APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1908. 920, 126.

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JOHN L. FRUIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FLUSHING-TANK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May '4, 1909.

Application filed. April 25, 1908. Serial No. 429,226.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. FRUIN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident, of Brooklyn borough, New York city, and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFlushing-Tanks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of flushing tanks known as a si hontank, that is, a tank the discharge 0 which is effected through a siphonoutlet pipe so that when the discharge is started the water willcontinue to flow by siphonic action until the siphon is broken.

The object of my invention is to provide a flushing tank of the siphontype in which the siphonic action is started by the mechanical immersionof a float-valve; the water thus suddenly displaced causing the si honto fill and the siphonic action to start.

y invention, therefore, belongs to the class of what are known'as singlecharge tanks, the entire contents of the tank being practically used ateach flushing operation, and the tank being allowed to refill graduallyfrom the water supply pipe.

This invention may be used either as a low-down tank or an over-headtank, with either a top supply or a bottom supply, as preferred. Itfrequently happens with all tanks used for flushing pur oses, whethersiphon tanks or not, that t e supply fails temporarily owing to the lackof pressure. When this occurs in the ordinary flushing tank the pullingof the chain lets out whatever water is in the tank and then the valvecloses. Although the tank fills again by the coming on of the supply, noflushing action takes place until somebody pulls the chain, andthereforeif the scant supply of water present when the chain was previouslypulled was not sufficient for flushing purposes the article remainsunfiushed until again called into action. 4

The object of my invention is to avoid this difficulty and to cause therefilling of the tank by the coming on of the supply to flushautomatically, and therefore protection will be afforded againstforgetfulness or absence in leaving any articles unflushed because thewater supply happens to be stopped at the time the chain was pulled,inasmuch as the coming on a ain of the supply immediately causes a fullflushing action which effects what the previous lack of flush failed toeffect.

The novelty in my invention consists in providing the tank with anadjustable selflocking and self-releasing float-valve, the forcibleimmersion of which in the waters of the tank will start the siphonicaction rovided the tank is full. In case the tanr is not full enough tohave the depression of the float start the siphon the float remainslocked in a depressed position until sufficient water enters the tank tostart the siphon automatically. In other words, the self-locking andself-releasing secures a full discharge or flush every time it isdepressed. The discharge takesplace immediately if the tank is full whenthe float is depressed. It does not start at all if the tank is onlypartly full, but the float remains depressed so that it cannot bedepressed again until sufficient added water enters the tank to startthe siphon automatically when the tank is full. The tank then dischargesitself and then, but not until then, the float releases itself andassumes a position ready to be lifted by the incoming water until ithasreturned to its initial position.

My invention consists, therefore, in a flushing tank provided with asiphon outlet and a self-locking and self-releasing float-valve whichcontrols the supply inlet; said floatvalve being adapted to lock itselfin its depressed position and to unlock itself only when the tank issubstantially empty, whereby said tank is siphoned by the depression ofthe float when the tank is full, and is put into a condition to siphonitself by the de ression of the float when the tank is not ful In theaccompanying drawings Figure 1. is a vertical section of my inventionapplied to an over-head tank fed from the bottom. Fig. 2 is a similarsection of my invention as applied to a low-down tank fed from thebottom.

Same letters indicate similar parts in the different drawings.

A is the body of the tank of usual construction rovided with a supplypipe a, with the usual ball-valve I), connected with the float by therods 0, d, of any convenient size and location. As an over-head tank thetop is open as shown in Fig. 1. As a low-down tank it is usuallyprovided with a cover B.

C is the siphon which is apiece of plain bent metal, the longer leg ofwhich passes through the bottom of the tank where a tight joint is madeby means of the usual jam-nut e, and suitable cement or other packing. D

is the float pivoted to the tank A, at f, and normally held in theposition shown in the drawings by the water in the tank which, as shown,does not rise to a height sufficient to over-flow the partition 9, inthe siphon, and therefore no siphonic action starts. In this positionthe ball-valve l), is, of course, closed and no more water can enter thetank. The connecting rod d, passes through a slotted plate i, on top ofthe float and carries at its upper end an adjusting nut h, by means ofwhich the time of closing the ball-valve with regard to the position ofthe float D, may be varied as occasion requires. The depression of thefloat D, and its consequent immersion in the water are brought about bypulling down the chain E, as follows: This chain is fastened in the eyej, at the outer end of the bent arm 7c, which is hinged to the plate i,at Z at the top of the float. Where the top of the tank is open, asshown in Fig. 1,. I rovide a guide rod m, set in the frame of t 'e tankbody and passing through a slot in the bent arm in W hen the chain ispulled downward the float D, moves downward also until the bent arm 76,reaches the nick n, in the guide rod m. Slipping into this nick the bentarm becomes locked and therefore the float cannot rise when the chain isreleased. The

arm is unlocked by the weight 19, rigidly attached to the arm 71:, whichcauses the slotted arm to turn on the hinge Z, enough'to slip out of thenick it, when the tank is so far discharged that the float does notreceive suffi cient support from the water to hold it up. There is then,of course, no danger of the float rising suddenly and the tank continuesto empty itself until the siphon breaks by the admission of air at thelower end of the shorter leg. Where the covered tank is used, as shownin Fig. 2, the bent arm is, has the nick n, and this nick is engaged bythe slotted plate on the under side of the cover B, through which saidbent arm passes. The unlocking takes place by means of the weight 19, asjust described, causing the arm to swing on the hinge Z, enough to freethe nick n, from the slotted plate g. The same structure of adjustment,locking and unlocking, would be used if the supply valve weredifferently situated, the connecting rods being changed accordingly.

The operation of my improved tank as above described is this: Assumingthe tank to be full and the float in the position shown in the drawings,a proper pull on. the chain will draw down the float until it locksitself by the catching of the slotted plate or arm and the nick. Thewater displaced by this depression of thefloat rises in the siphon abovethe topv of the partition g, sufficiently to cause the siphonic actionto begin. This siphoning continues until the water of the tank gets solow that it will no longer support the weight of the float and theweight 13. The weight 2), therefore tips down the bent arm so as torelease the latch. The tank being now empty and the siphon broken, andthe inlet valve open, the incoming water will gradually fill the tankand buoy up the float until it lifts the latter into the positionoriginally adjusted for the closing of the inlet valve. In other words,until the tank is full. This adjustment, of course, as before stated,

has tipped down sufficiently low to prevent any danger of the siphonstarting itself, but

sufficiently high to make the depression of the float displace enoughwater to start the siphon. Assuming the tank not to be full, for lack ofsufficient supply, the float will already be partly depressed. A pullonthe chain therefore will bring down the float until itlocks, but Willnot start the siphon for lack of sufficient water. There will,therefore, be no flush' but there being some water in the tank the floatwill not unlock itself. The water then coming on through the open inletwill rise and fill the tank without lifting the float and will continueto rise until it overflows the siphon partition when the siphonic actionwill automatically stop. This siphoning will, of course, continue untilit empties the tank enough to cause the float to unlock and then theincoming water will lift the float to its normal position but will notsiphon out; the supply being checked by the float closing the inletvalve, until the chain is again pulled. 7

Among, the advantages of my improved flushing tank may be mentioned thevery important one that there is no chance for a leaky outlet or flushvalve. The great dis advantage of ordinary flush tanks is that it isvery difficult to make sure that the flush valve seats itself with aperfectly tight contact after a flushing operation. There are manycauses for this. The washer may be worn unevenly. The up-and-downmovement of the rod or supporting chain may not be perfectly true. Someparticle of grit may work in between the washer and the valve seat. Theconsequence of this leakage is a constant waste and disagreeable runningaway of the water which tends to keep the tank insufficiently filledunless the supply is very strong. All this is avoided by my tank throughthe absence of a flush valve. No; water can passv through the outletpipe until there is suflicient water in the tank to start the siphon,and when the siphon breaks it float being adapted to lock itself whencleremains broken until the tank again 'fills. l pressed and to unlockitself when the Water I claim: in the tank is practically exhausted. Aflushing tank provided with an inlet JOHN L. FRUIN. 5 pi e, an outletsiphon, and a self-locking and \Vitnesses:

se f-unlocking float whereby the siphon is A. A. HOEHLE, started and theinlet Valve controlled, said W. I. PREBLE, Jr.

